Polk County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 28% of Polk County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
6% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 19 flood losses here since 2016. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Polk County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 27.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 70.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.6% |
| Mapped soil | 199,400 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Fullerton | 18% | 0% |
| Shack | 12% | n/a |
| Tallapoosa | 12% | n/a |
| Montevallo | 7% | n/a |
| Decatur | 6% | n/a |
| Chewacla | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas GA621 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 28% of Polk County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 38.91 in, 12.11 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.02 in.
USDA rates 70% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
6% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 38 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 13 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 6% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
19 flood losses since 2016, $269,006 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.02 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.91 in (-12.11) |
| 2025 | 42.03 in (-8.99) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1932: 73.93 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 28.23 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CEDARTOWN (5 mi away) | 16 |
Homes
| Housing units | 17,368 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $187,600 |
| Single-family detached | 79% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haralson County, GA | 14 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Floyd County, GA | 19 mi | 9% | 33% |
| Paulding County, GA | 19 mi | under 1% | 8% |
| Bartow County, GA | 26 mi | 0% | 18% |
| Cleburne County, AL | 29 mi | 0% | 9% |
| Carroll County, GA | 29 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Cherokee County, AL | 30 mi | 9% | 14% |
| Douglas County, GA | 32 mi | under 1% | 10% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 27, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status